Monday Mentors with Houston Medical Malpractice Lawyer Mary Green
Mary Green, medical malpractice and personal injury lawyer with Pierce Skrabanek in Houston, joins us on today's show! Mary talks about organization, asking the how and why, and moving from the defense side to the plaintiff's side.
Her firm/practice
- Medical malpractice law
- Biggest changes were in 2003 tort reform
- Now paying attention to SB6 relating to immunity of healthcare providers in treatment of COVID patients
- Almost every one of her cases was on hold last spring/summer, but then everyone adapted and many of the cases were able to progress, and had her first in-person trial last month
- Some cases settled quickly for not wanting to wait forever to get into court, but others just held out since there wasn't any pressure of a pending trial to encourage a settlement
- Having worked on the defense side of the personal injury docket is a plus for a plaintiff's firm: communicating with an adjuster, moving cases forward, etc.
- But you do have to adjust to a more proactive approach since the plaintiff's side drives the litigation
- Getting away from the billable hour requires a change in mindset from checking a box on time to accomplishing specific tasks/goals regardless of how long they take.
Advice to lawyers in practice
- Organization has been key for her
- Find a way that works for you; there isn't a one-size-fits-all way to accomplish the goals for the client
- If your partner takes the time to explain, teach, share reasons/rationale with you, listen and engage. Or if they aren't, ask! That demonstrates your curiosity and interest in understanding
- Also can give you a chance to demonstrate what you've done so far
- establish rapport with partners
- understand context - if there is an urgent deadline this might not be possible
- Don't take fake-it-till-you-make-it to an extreme
- Have confidence, but understand when you don't know something and need to ask questions and learn
- Much of your business will come by referrals, so maintain connections
- with others in your field
- with former classmates
- with other lawyers
Advice to lawyers on the lateral market
- Tailor your resume to the specific position you are applying to
- shows that you really want this job and aren't just looking for a job
- this can also help you think through whether or not the position is the right fit for you
- The firm is looking for how will the candidate interact with clients, judges, etc. based on how they are communicating in the interview
- Interviewers are also trying to determine whether they want to work with the person day-in and day-out
- Candidates should be thinking about that same thing; do you want to work with this group of people?
- Doesn't mean they are looking for the same type of people; but rather a group who can work well together and get along together
Final Thoughts
- Remember the human side of things; clients are often going through one of the most challenging times in their lives
- Everyone grieves differently
- Everyone responds to stress differently
Rapid Fire Questions
- Name one trait/characteristic you most want to see in an associate: hardworking
- What habit has been key to your success: organization
- Favorite app/productivity tool: Evernote
- What would be listed first on the interest line of your resume: travel
- Favorite legal movie: To Kill A Mockingbird / My Cousin Vinny
Thanks again to Mary Green for joining us on today's show!